From Third Grade to Forever
by missfand0m
Summary: ""Are you nervous?" Fred asked. "Yes. No? Ugh, I don't even know what I'm feeling anymore," Annabeth replied." Percy and Annabeth are still together many years after high school and have finally decided to get married. Inspired by I Got A Boy by flyingcrowbar.


**Big thanks/shout out to flyingcrowbar (aka Jane), author of the beautiful story** **I Got A Boy** **, for writing said story and for giving me permission to write/publish this work since it was inspired by/hints at her story. She is amazing and you should check out** **IGAB** **as well as her other stories. :-)**

The pianist was given the signal and he started to play the Bridal March.

The small group of guests fell silent and turned around, facing the little, white archway behind them.

The groom, who stood near the platform, straightened and looked even more nervous than he had before.

The bride quickly adjusted her veil and grabbed her father's arm.

"Are you nervous?" Fred asked.

"Yes. No? Ugh, I don't even know what I'm feeling anymore," Annabeth replied.

Her dad chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You'll do fine. Just don't pull a Jennifer Lawrence on me and trip while walking down the aisle."

Annabeth smiled and stood up straight. She was ready for this. She'd been ready for a long time.

They walked into view, the guests stood, and Percy got even more nervous.

He started to rub his sweaty palm on his pant leg, until he remembered how much it would cost him if he returned said pant leg to the rental place with anything wrong it. He rubbed his hands together instead and looked up at his bride.

His jaw dropped.

He had known she would be beautiful, but he wasn't prepared for just how beautiful she would be. Most of her blond curls were pinned up with a few loose ones in the front framing her face. A veil was attached to said hair and hung down over her face. Her lipstick was the same shade as the red roses she held in her hands. As she got closer, he could see she had elaborate eyeliner on with no eyeshadow, which made him smile. She knew how much he hated it when women wore eyeshadow.

As far as the dress went, well, all that he noticed was that it was white, strapless, and long enough to brush the sand. His brain was pretty much fried at that point and nothing else was registering anymore.

Well, nothing except that fact that she was gorgeous. Not that she wasn't always gorgeous, but he had never seen her like this before.

As she walked down the aisle, Percy heard a low whistle beside him. Then Leo said under his breath, "Damn, man, she's smokin'."

Percy felt Jason shift beside him to glare at Leo and quietly reply with, "Shut up."

Annabeth and Fred reached the platform. He lifted her veil, kissed her briefly on the cheek, replaced the veil, and sat down in the front row next to his wife. Percy's mom was sitting on the other side of Fred with her new husband, Paul. Sally was beaming like Percy had never seen her smile before and she looked like she was about to cry.

Percy held out his hand and Annabeth took it. They locked eyes as she stepped onto the platform with him. He could see nervousness in her eyes, as well as joy and excitement. He could see the maid of honor, Piper, out of his peripheral vision, who was also full of excitement, bouncing up and down as inconspicuously as possible.

Chiron sat in his wheelchair before the couple since he had gotten ordained just for this occasion. Annabeth had really wanted him to perform the wedding and Percy didn't care who married them as long as it was legal.

"Dearly beloved," Chiron started, "we are gathered here to celebrate the union of two people who are both very near and dear to my heart. They have overcome many obstacles and hurtles to get to where they are today, but they made it because of each other. I don't want to bore you with a long speech about love, respect, faithfulness, trust, and so forth; I'm fairly certain you have all been to a wedding before, so you get the general idea." The guests chuckled and Chiron smiled at them. "So, all I shall say is that I know Percy and Annabeth have been marvelous examples of these qualities and I know them both well enough to readily assure that they will always carry these qualities with them. They love each other unconditionally and they always will. They have the deepest respect for one another, a trust that is unbreakable, and are continuously faithful to each other, though I have seen many people along the way try to pry them apart. I have complete confidence in their ability to overcome anything and to have a successful, happy life."

There was silence for a moment, then Percy started, cursed under his breath, and said, "Sorry, I missed my cue."

Everyone quietly laughed and Percy revved himself up for the big moment.

 _Come on, man. Pull yourself together. It's not like you haven't rehearsed this in your head fifty million times before. Whew. Okay. I got this._

He turned so he and Annabeth were facing each other and holding hands. Green, scared-out-of-their-mind eyes looked straight into gray, expectant ones. He smiled and took a deep breath to prepare himself for reciting the vows he had written.

"Annabeth, we have gone through some crazy stuff together. It's been a ridiculous, confusing, and sometimes scary ride. But I'm glad we went through those trials. They helped us grow as individuals, as friends, and as a couple. Though they were awful at the time, good came out of all the bad. We became closer; learned to depend on each other. They even have had good long term effects on us, because now...now you're my wife." He tearily smiled at her, not ashamed of the drops threatening to run down his cheeks. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, thank you. Thank you for always being there for me during the ups and downs of life. As your husband, I will do my very best to protect you and help you so that you never have to go through anything like that ever again." He looked her in the eyes, those stormy, beautiful, tear-filled eyes that he loved so much. "I promise."

He took the ring from the ring-bearer, who was Jason and Piper's son, and Annabeth started silently crying as Percy slid the ring onto her finger saying, "With this ring, I thee wed." Then he reached up to wipe away the mascara-dyed tears on her cheeks. She smiled at him and took a shaky breath. Her vows weren't as long as his were, but she probably wouldn't make it through them if they had been any longer. Annabeth wasn't a very emotional person, but when she did have her moments, they were intense like right now.

"Percy," she began, "you are my rock. You keep me sane through the craziness of life with your jokes and perception of things. But that's why I love you. You're always you, no matter what happens. You're loyal, loving, funny, and trustworthy; and you will always be that way. When no one believed in me, you were there. You have supported me through some of the hardest times of my life." She paused for a second, then said, "You were my first kiss back in third grade, and now you will be my last kiss many, many years down the road."  
Annabeth smiled at Percy while slipping on his ring, knowing that he would realize what she was referring to and she was rewarded by a toothy smile. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Chiron smiled and said, "By the power invested in me by the state of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Percy lifted the delicate veil, gently putting it behind Annabeth's head. It had been the one thing he requested her to do concerning the wedding, since it had always been a dream of his to lift the veil and kiss his bride on his wedding day.

He cradled her jaw and started to lean in. Apparently he wasn't fast enough, because Annabeth grabbed the collar of his jacket and pulled his face down to hers.

The pianist took the kiss as his second signal and started playing a triumphant tune.

The small group of guests started to cheer, clap, and cry.

The groom smiled against his wife's mouth.

The bride chuckled and couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy.


End file.
